This invention relates to stationary blade assemblies for steam turbines and more particularly to a retainer plate utilized to improve interstage sealing.
Steam turbines are made with horizontal joints allowing the top half of the outer casing or cylinder to be removed. Inner cylinders and blade rings also have a horizontal joint and the stationary blades are made in semi-circular arrays, which are joined together to form a blade diaphragm, a circular array of stationary blades or a stationary blade row. To reduce interstage leakage, there is a labyrinth seal adjacent the rotor.